]]>http://www.openminds.tv/daily-ufo-headlines-92412/17127/feed0Spacing Out! Episode 15 – Geoff Notkinhttp://www.openminds.tv/spacing-out-episode-15-geoff-notkin/20092
http://www.openminds.tv/spacing-out-episode-15-geoff-notkin/20092#commentsFri, 10 Aug 2012 18:54:00 +0000http://www.openminds.tv/?p=20092Meteorite Men. We talk with Geoff about meteorites, and hear his thoughts regarding panspermia and extraterrestrial life. We also discuss some strange activity in Washington state, the Mars landing of the Curiosity rover, and other space and UFO news on this episode of Spacing Out!

AIR DATE: 8/10/12

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Geoff Notkin is a meteorite specialist and host of Science Channel’s award-winning series Meteorite Men. We talk with Geoff about meteorites, and hear his thoughts regarding panspermia and extraterrestrial life. We also discuss some strange activity in Washington state, the Mars landing of the Curiosity rover, and other space and UFO news on this episode of Spacing Out!

NASA scientists have discovered new evidence showing that DNA components found in meteorites can originate in space. Science Daily explains, “The research gives support to the theory that a ‘kit’ of ready-made parts created in space and delivered to Earth by meteorite and comet impacts assisted the origin of life.”

The research team analyzed samples from 12 different meteorites, and found traces of adenine, guanine, and a variety of molecules known as nucleobase analogs–three of which are rarely found on Earth. Scientists have previously been aware that meteorites can contain DNA elements. But until now, they didn’t know whether or not those elements originated in space. Engadget explains that the presence of these three molecules provides a strong indication that they do originate in space, which “potentially rais[es] new questions about the dawn of life on Earth, and beyond.”

Dr. Michael Callahan of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland is the lead author of the paper that details the recent findings. The paper appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

NASA quickly distanced itself from recent claims made by one of their own scientists that certain meteorites contain fossilized remains of extraterrestrial bacteria. When NASA astrobiologist Richard Hoover published a paper with his findings in the latest issue of the Journal of Cosmology, his research was met with skepticism by the scientific community, which resulted in the rare move by NASA to publicly distance itself from the research of one of their own scientists.

According to Wired UK, Dr. Paul Hertz, chief scientist of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, stated, “NASA cannot stand behind or support a scientific claim unless it has been peer-reviewed or thoroughly examined by other qualified experts.” Further, Carl Pilcher, head of NASA’s Astrobiology Institute told the Associated Press, “I am not aware of any support from other meteorite researchers for this rather extraordinary claim.”

Hoover’s paper was apparently sent to the International Journal of Astrobiology in 2007, but failed to make it through the peer review process. As mentioned yesterday, 100 scientists have been invited to review the paper that was published in the Journal of Cosmology.